Did your smartphone catch a chill? Here’s what you need to do

At low temperatures, your smartphone's battery may stop working. It's best to keep it close to your body to make sure it stays warm. — dpa

Many of the components used in smartphones are sensitive to big temperature swings, so it’s not surprising that when the weather turns bitterly cold, the display or battery decides to stop working.

There are a few things that users can do, however, to make sure things run smoothly, says telecommunications portal Teltarif.de.

Rule number one: Always keep the smartphone warm.

The easiest way to do this is to keep it close to your body and use a headset to make calls, instead of holding it up to your ear.

Keep it in an extra case – like a neoprene bag or a phone sock – to be extra safe. It’s also a good idea to use a cover when the phone’s in your rucksack or pocket.

The ideal temperature range for batteries is 10°C or higher. Below that, the battery capacity quickly shrinks, as does the phone’s battery life.

If the device stays relatively warm, you’re also unlikely to deal with a possible display failure, which can happen in freezing temperatures, though more often with LCD screens.

Another good reason to keep your phone warm is to shield it from the possible effects of temperature shock.

That happens when the ice-cold phone is brought into a warm room; condensation can form.

While this isn’t a big deal for the exterior, it’s a problem for the electronic components inside. The water can corrode the contacts on the battery or cause even more serious damage.

If your phone is icy, it’s better to not use it for a while and give it time to warm up.

And an obvious tip: The smartphone shouldn’t come in contact with snow, which can be particularly treacherous because it can get into any openings, cracks or ports and start to melt inside the phone. – dpa